Global Coming: Farming with my sister-in-law in the end times

Chapter 728 The Trial of Balance, a Test of Will!

The device inside this magic tower corresponds to the hint on the map: 'When the triple echoes resonate in the same way…'

But the problem is... there are a total of 9 buildings here, which means there are at least 9 'Silent Magic Balancing Devices'.

"In other words... I need to find nine spellcasters who can precisely control magic..." Cao Xing muttered to himself.

Of course, the choice of the spellcaster is not a problem.

This time, he brought a truly impressive lineup, including many powerful mages.

Besides himself, there is the Holy Light Sage Isabel, the Lightning Mage Zevelin, the Priestess Fainaz, the Wind Mage Allen, and the Earth Mage Tyron.

That makes six.

The other three chosen are the water mage Airi and Sylvia.

Add the Black Smoke Shaman Brot, and you have a total of 9.

However, there is still a very troublesome problem.

“Each ‘Silent Demon Balancing Device’ only has 3 attempts. If even one person fails, the entire operation will fail…”

Cao Xing's lips twitched, and he sighed, "The test set by this alchemy master is really harsh."

But now that the matter has come to this, we can only bite the bullet.

Cao Xing then quickly informed everyone of his discovery via communication device.

Upon hearing this, the team chat erupted in uproar.

"Wow! Only 3 chances? That sounds exciting!" Elisa's clear voice rang out.

"By Mother Earth... this will be a double test of will and skill for the mages in our team."

Others also marveled at the difficulty of this 'silent magic balancing device'.

Cao Xing said in a deep voice, "Therefore, the eight spellcasters I just mentioned will have a more arduous task ahead."

"If you feel pressured, you can bring it up, and I'll look for other candidates."

The communication channel fell silent for a brief moment.

Clearly, this applies to legendary mages like Isabel and Zavirin.

None of the seventh-tier mages, such as Ellie and Sylvia, who were personally trained by Cao Xing, chose to quit.

Because they knew that now was the time when their lord needed them.

Even if it costs me everything, I will complete the task he assigned me.

After waiting for a moment, Cao Xing already knew the result.

"very good."

His voice was tinged with relief: "Since no one has backed out, let's proceed with the original plan."

"Now, everyone's primary goal is to find other buildings, so let's get moving!"

"Yes, my lord!" The unified response echoed through the channel.

The next moment, the other two exploration teams quickened their pace.

The vengeful spirits they encountered on the road were dealt with as quickly as possible.

……

After turning off the communication, Cao Xing turned to the people around him and said, "According to our calculations, there are still two buildings in this area that we haven't found."

"Knight of Assam".

"Your subordinate is here, Lord!" Assam stepped forward, sword in hand, his gaze unwavering.

Cao Xing nodded slightly: "Next, you will lead Priest Fanaz, Shaman Brot, and Commander Bojie to find the locations of the other two buildings."

"Once found, Fanaz will be in charge of one 'Silent Magic Balancing Device,' and Brot will be in charge of the other."

"You stay by the side and keep watch to ensure that the spellcasting process is not disturbed."

Assam clenched his fist and lowered his chest, the Tyrant's Armor clanging crisply: "Yes, sir! We will not fail you!"

He quickly turned around and began to count the number of people.

He quickly led a small team away from the energy tower.

Cao Xing remained where he was, examining the 'Silent Demon Balancing Device' before him once more.

He pondered to himself, "Should I inject magic now to familiarize myself with how to operate this device?"

However, he quickly dismissed the idea.

"Forget it, this device only has 3 uses."

"According to the golem, after maintaining the balance, the other end of the scale will continue to change, and I need to make adjustments based on these changes."

"In other words, the longer it takes, the greater the probability of failure."

Thinking of this, Cao Xing thought to himself, "Let's wait until they've all found the remaining buildings and everyone is ready before we act together."

He then continued to wait in the tower, occasionally wandering around and studying the alchemical array on the ground.

Just like that, about two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

During these two hours, the three teams found seven magic towers in succession.

Including the one where Cao Xing is located, there are already eight.

Now, only the last magic tower is needed before we can begin the next round of operations.

At the same time, an explosion was heard in the distance.

The Tauren chieftain forcefully blasted open a metal gate.

The next moment, his joyful voice came through the communicator.

"My lord! We have successfully located the last magic tower, and Miss Sylvia has already entered the building."

At the same time, Sylvia's gentle voice rang out, "My lord, I have seen the 'Silent Magic Balancing Device' you mentioned. It is ready and can be activated at any time."

Upon hearing the news from the two, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

"Well done."

He said, "Are all the other spellcasters in place now?"

"Ready."

"I'm all ready on my end too."

"We can begin at any time, my lord."

Immediately, a series of responses came through the communicator.

Cao Xing nodded in satisfaction, "Very good. Now listen to my instructions. After the countdown ends, everyone should start injecting magic into the 'Silent Magic Balancing Device'."

"Three seconds left..."

"two……"

The countdown begins.

The other eight spellcasters held their breath, concentrating all their attention on the scales before them.

"one……"

"start!"

As soon as Cao Xing finished speaking, everyone immediately began to inject magic into the devices they were responsible for.

Cao Xing slowly raised his right hand, a wisp of icy blue light gathering at his fingertips.

He didn't immediately unleash his maximum magical power.

As a legendary 'Eternal Frozen Monarch', the frost magic within him is as vast as the sea.

If released at full power, this sophisticated device could probably be frozen solid in an instant.

"Let's try the minimum output first..."

Cao Xing muttered to himself, and with a light tap of his slender index finger, a wisp of delicate, silky frost magic flowed slowly into the tray on the right side of the scale.

"Click..."

The sound of gears turning filled the air.

The other side of the scale slowly rose from the ground.

"Click... click..."

Before long, both ends of the scale rose up and began to swing up and down in the air...

[You have successfully activated Asura Technology: The Silent Magic Balancing Device.]

[Please keep the scales balanced within the next 120 seconds.]

If the imbalance lasts for more than 2 seconds, or if one side of the scale falls to the ground, the challenge is considered a failure...

[Remaining chances: 2]

(Note: After all balancing attempts have been used up, the 'Silent Magic Balancing Device' will enter a 365-day locked state.)
……

Upon seeing the system notification, Cao Xing's heart sank.

Although the golem had explained the rules beforehand, he was somewhat prepared.

However, the lock-in period after the failure is outrageous—a full year!
In other words, if Cao Xing fails this time, he will have to wait until next year to start again.

He shook his head, quickly dismissing the distracting thoughts in his mind: "Never mind, I'll just focus on dealing with the present moment."

The next moment, the magic power output from Cao Xing's fingertips increased slightly.

Under his precise control, the tilted scales gradually stabilized.

In no time, the two trays were slowly aligned.

Seeing this, Cao Xing asked in confusion, "Is it really that simple?"

Before he could even be happy for long...

The next moment, the entire scale suddenly trembled violently!

The central gear set emitted a piercing metallic scraping sound, the previously stationary pointer began to swing wildly, and the trays on both sides rose and fell as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

"Damn it! I knew it wouldn't be that easy!"

Cao Xing cursed under his breath and immediately increased his magic output.

The icy blue light at my fingertips suddenly intensified, and the chill condensed into tiny ice crystals in the air.

Under his precise control, the wildly swinging scales gradually stabilized.

"Phew..." Cao Xing let out a long sigh, his forehead already covered in fine beads of sweat.

What seemed like a simple operation actually required an almost abnormal level of control over magic.

If it weren't for his current master-level ice element affinity and legendary-level strength, he would have almost failed completely.

at the same time.

It wasn't just Cao Xing's side; the spellcasters of the other eight magic energy towers also encountered the same problem.

They were initially thrown into a brief panic upon seeing the scales swinging wildly. However, everyone possessed strong mental fortitude and quickly regained their composure.

Under their control, the wildly swinging scales gradually stabilized.

The combat personnel responsible for protecting these spellcasters in the tower couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Kane Burrows exclaimed, "By Mother Earth, this thing is incredibly difficult! Miss Sylvia almost failed just now, it scared me to death!"

Bayer Blackheart also spoke in a weary voice: "Yes... I thought they were going to fail, but thankfully Mr. Tyron turned the situation around."

Brûl laughed heartily: "The spellcasters in our territory are all excellent!"

……

The next 30 seconds were a relatively stable phase.

Although the scales on the opposite side were still swaying up and down, they weren't as violent as they had been at the beginning.

With the magical output of Cao Xing and others, it was barely kept in a state of balance.

And just like that, 60 seconds passed in the blink of an eye.

Half of the 120 seconds required by the system has already passed.

Cao Xing instinctively sensed that something might happen to the device again.

Sure enough, as soon as 60 seconds passed, the special magic arrays on the surrounding ground suddenly lit up with a ghostly blue light.

The next moment, thick fog rose from these magic arrays, and the temperature inside the entire tower plummeted.

Then, everyone heard a series of women's mournful cries.

"Waaah...waaah..."

Upon hearing the crying, they already knew what kind of creature the magic circle had summoned.

Those vengeful spirits in the mist!

Cao Xing's lips twitched: "Not only do we have to maintain the balance of magic, but we also have to deal with the interference of these vengeful spirits?"

"If it were a small team or a weak team, there would be no chance of completing this."

After all, just finding these nine magic towers in this dangerous ruin would require a great deal of time and considerable strength.

In addition, having to gather nine spellcasters of considerable skill is another demanding condition.

At this time, so many vengeful spirits appeared again.

The challenges were numerous and the difficulty was outrageously high.

Fortunately, Cao Xing's side was strong enough.

Even though the spellcasters are currently focused on dealing with Libra and unable to make a move.

But he left many powerful warriors in each tower to protect the spellcasters inside.

"ah!!!"

As a series of venomous shrieks rang out, the vengeful spirits bared their fangs and claws as they pounced on the people who were casting the spell.

However, they haven't even moved two steps yet.

"Boom!" The minotaur chieftain's totem pole swept across, instantly annihilating several vengeful spirits.

Commander Bojie's giant axe flashed with a cold light, instantly killing the group of vengeful spirits on the spot.

Combatants in other towers also launched an attack immediately.

The vengeful spirits appeared for less than 3 seconds before being completely dealt with, without interfering with the spellcasters at all.

At this moment, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Cao Xinggang wanted to speak in the chat channel.

The next moment, something unexpected happened!

The tray opposite suddenly sank sharply, and the entire device emitted a tooth-grinding metallic twisting sound!

Before anyone could react, the other end of the tray crashed to the ground.

"Boom..."

[Balance failed... Remaining chances: 2]

……

Not only Cao Xing, but eight out of the nine magic energy towers experienced unexpected incidents.

Only Zevelin, a mage who had lived for nearly a thousand years, managed to stabilize the situation immediately thanks to his rich experience.

Everyone stared blankly at the device.

A moment later, expressions of frustration and guilt appeared in their eyes.

“My lord, I…” Isabel’s voice had just come through the communicator.

Cao Xing interrupted directly, saying, "It's alright, we still have two more chances, let's keep trying."

"Treat the first time as a familiarization with the process."

His tone was calm and powerful, without a trace of blame, but rather full of fighting spirit!

This defeat ignited Cao Xing's competitive spirit.

He wanted to see what kind of rare treasure was hidden behind such a difficult test!
Encouraged by Cao Xing, everyone cheered up again.

They took a deep breath and began to infuse magic into the scales.

Just like last time, not long after it started, the scales began to shake violently.

However, having learned from the previous experience, everyone remained calm this time and quickly restored the device to normal.

They survived the 60 seconds without any major incident.

One minute later, the terrifying vengeful spirits emerged from the magic circle once more.

The magic circle on the ground seemed to contain special power, capable of activating under certain conditions and summoning vengeful spirits.

Of course, vengeful spirits are not the biggest obstacle.

Next, when they deal with the vengeful spirit, the scales will tilt dramatically!

Last time, they failed at this very stage.

But this time, everyone had already prepared themselves mentally.

The moment the vengeful spirit died and the scales opposite it tilted, a large amount of magic power began to flow into it!
The balance was forcibly maintained!

"Ccrunch! Crunch!"

"Click...click click..."

The sounds of gears turning and metal rubbing together rang out continuously, and this time the tilt was particularly violent!
Even those seventh-tier mages have given it their all!
After a fierce struggle that lasted for five seconds, they finally regained control of the situation.

"Huh...huh..."

The communicator in my ear could be heard with heavy breathing, clearly indicating that everyone was quite exhausted.

Although he had overcome the second hurdle, Cao Xing did not let his guard down in the slightest.

He said in a deep voice, "The last 50 seconds, everyone stay alert!"

"All combat personnel, be on high alert and ensure that no interference gets near the spellcaster!"

"The caster should maintain the current mana output and pay attention to the tilting frequency of the scales."

Upon hearing Cao Xing's reminder, the group became vigilant again, intently observing their surroundings.

Every second that followed felt incredibly long.

40 seconds left...

The device began to shake violently again, but the spellcasters managed to maintain its balance.

30 seconds left...

Libra began frantically absorbing the spellcasters' magic power, nearly causing the situation to collapse.

20 seconds left...

The hands of the spellcasters were already trembling slightly.

Time flies, and 100 seconds have passed since they activated the device for the second time.

Everyone held their breath.

Only 20 seconds left to succeed!

"Phew... Calm down..."

Cao Xing took another deep breath and stared intently at the scales in front of him.

Time passes slowly.

Ten seconds passed without any new developments, but this only made him more vigilant!
In the blink of an eye, it was the last 10 seconds!

Cao Xing knew that such a difficult test would not be passed so easily.

"Notice!"

His calm voice rang in everyone's ears, and everyone tensed up.

Sure enough, when the countdown reached its final 5 seconds, the situation suddenly changed!
A powerful mental fluctuation suddenly erupted from the core of this scale device.

Like an invisible tsunami, it swept across the entire tower!

This is a wide-ranging mental attack, and its intensity is extremely high, enough to cause people to lose consciousness briefly.

However, faced with this sudden attack, Cao Xing's tense nerves relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face.

"I never expected that this final test would be a mental attack..."

He said casually, "For other teams, this is indeed a trump card that can ruin their efforts."

"But for us, it was actually the easiest hurdle..."

"Om-!"

A mental fluctuation swept through.

The non-friendly units, Bai Zhi and the Lord of Oran City, instantly rolled their eyes and fell into a brief state of disorientation.

Others, however, only felt a gentle breeze on their faces.

At the same time, a system notification sounded.

[Ding! You have been attacked by an unknown mental attack, but you are immune to this attack due to the 'Faith' status...]

[Ding! Your territory's members have been subjected to an unknown mental attack and have been...]

……

Upon seeing the notification, Cao Xing's lips curled into a victorious smile.

The others in the team also showed expressions of joy, their tense nerves finally relaxing.

……

(End of this chapter)